Dark Moon Rising
by FanGirl2005
Summary: This is a story of Thalia, a Greater Sooty Owl. She was snatched by the Pure Ones as a newly hatched chick. Her parents and sister live at the Tree. But she has no recollection of ever living there. She is determined to rise in ranks, and one day be the feared leader of the Pure Ones. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello guys! It is Fangirl2005 here with a new Fanfiction called Dark Moon Rising. I hope you all enjoy this new story I have been working on. I will be getting out another chapter today. Hope you guys have a great time reading this! Please read, review, and favorite this Fanfic! It would mean the world to me!**

A cold breeze ruffled the feathers of an unmoving dark mass. Eyes blinked silently in the dark, as they watched for anything that could be a threat, danger, or predator to the group of owls that nested in the canyon lands.

There were quiet churrs, screeches, and claws clinking as young owls practiced their brutal fighting skills below, which they would use twice as brutally on the battlefield. With that group was a Greater Sooty Owl, watching from a crack in the Cliffside. Her eyes wide with excitement as she watched the pair on the wing, clawing and slashing until one fell injured, too weak to carry on. The other landed and received a churr from the trainer, but the fight didn't stop then as the young owl walked towards his injured component, his metal claws clinking as he walked against the rough rock.

The owl raised into the air, coming down into a kill spiral, blood splashing against the dim background as the life fleeted from the other owls black gaze. Screeches of victory rose from the larger, and stronger victor, the others joining in heartily.

True, training here was brutal, but it was what made them the strong, merciless soldiers when it really mattered.

The sooty got shoved away from the ledge by a wing. "You could have fallen how close you were standing Thalia!" The broody scolded as she went back to the nest with three eggs in it, ruffling her feathers as she sat on them. These would hatch just as Thalia was leaving, as the Pure Ones planned perfectly to keep eggs and chicks in plentiful supply. With the kind of training they would have to endure, they needed plenty of backups.

Thalia groaned as she looked to the ledge. "When will I be out there?" She complained as she put on her pair of fake battle claws, the tips too dull to inflict much damage. They were from some colliers that specialized in small talon owls, not knowing they were being given to owlets to practice with.

She sliced at the cliff side as she watched sparks fly off of them, growing the tips even duller. Her broody churred. "You will be out there in a day." The Broody purred as she moved around the white eggs underneath her layers of feathers that would keep them warm until their hatching date.

Thalia looked to her wingtips, she would be starting off in a branching class, but be working her way up in the classes as she became a better flier. That wasn't the only place she planned on working her way up through, she wanted to become a High Rank. Which seemed impossible and out of reach to many, as she was a lower purity species of Barn Owl, but she didn't plan on stopping until she got there, not caring who she hurt. Her gaze turned cold as she looked to the outside world.

Her head swiveled to look at her Broody, who had fallen asleep. "It's now or never." She whispered quietly as she stepped onto the ledge. The practice had broken up, and now most other owls would be off doing their jobs. She felt the winds ruffle her feathers, which still had some down stuck to them. She took a deep breath before she launched herself from her hollow. Her wings stretched as she tried to navigate. She felt her wings start shaking, but she looked to a nearby ledge. She flapped her wings desperately as she tried to reach that rocky safe haven. Her gaze determined as she became nearer, but she was starting to fall out of the air, faster than she could flap. She screeched as she reached out her talons, barely managing to grab a hold of a wind-swept bush that, much like her, was gripping to the cliff side for dear life. She looked below her, the ground having been closer than where her nest was. She shuddered as she saw a broken body beneath her, her head tilting as she picked sounds of gentle scratches above her, signaling another nest. This owlet looked younger than her, which probably tried the same stunt that she had pulled, but hadn't been as fortunate as her.

She looked to a safer looking rock jutting out from the side, and she pushed off again, flapping noisily as she reached out her talons, landing on an even smaller and dangerous place than that bush. She breathed heavily as she shifted her talons on the small protruding ledge.

Her feathers ruffled as she pushed off again, her eyes widening as she saw how close the boulder was, but still too far as she felt herself lose control of her wings again. She growled as she saw another ledge, her wings flapping as she tried to get there. She landed on another ledge, thanking that she had taken the battle claws off near the hollow ledge.

This patch of the canyon was where the branching owls, broodies, and owlets lived. It was perfect as an extraordinary amount of ledges made this run of canyon safer for branching, even if every couple of clutches an owlet couldn't quite find a safe spot, much like the one that she had seen, that lived in a higher nest than Thalia did.

Thalia shoved off again, doing this several times until she landed on her sought after destination. She screeched in victory, snapping her beak shut quickly. ' _I shouldn't have done that!_ _It'll wake my broody!'_ She blinked as she frantically looked for a place to hide from the sharp gaze of her broody. She found a crack in the side that was too small for a nest, but hopefully just big enough for her. She lunged off, flapping her wings desperately as she kept on landing and moving off again. Landing nearby her hiding spot, she forced herself to wilf so she could fit as it made a snug fit. She shuffled inside, holding her breath as a flap of wings flew by, noticing the speckles of her 'caretaker'. She sighed as she flew past her hiding spot. She peeked out to see her flying farther down the nest canyons, the echoes must have made it hard to pinpoint where the original screech came from. She rose into the air, moving from ledge to ledge, and finally working her way up to her nest. She slipped inside just in time as her broody came in behind her.

"Was that you?" Brood snapped as she lashed out towards Thalia. Thalia's eyes widened as she dodged. _'Now I know why she was made a broody, it was because she is a wet pooper when it comes to fighting.'_ She churred in her mind as she opened her beak to talk.

"I was here the whole time, I was hiding in the corner of the nest. You must not have seen me." She said with a fake smile.

Brood shook her head. "I swear to Glaux, it sounded like you." She uttered as she looked at Thalia like she was going crazy.

She churred. "You're just tired Brood, you need some rest." She purred as she guided her broody to the nest. Brood nodded as she laid down, closing her eyes.

Thalia smirked as she perched on a small ledge in the hollow, perfect for older owlets. She closed her eyes. _'_ Easily gulliable _Brood.'_ She churred in her head one final time before finally falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**I promised another chapter, and here we go. I am always really gun-ho when I have a lot of inspiration when I first start, but the updates will slow as time goes on. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Read, review, and favorite! It will make my day!**

After the night of her early branching, and slim escape from Brood, she stared out of her hollow on another ebony night, dotted with white stars. It almost looked like her plumage. She stepped out, now being able to actually branch without having to dodge any of her 'superiors' who would scold and punish a young owl branching too early.

She flung out of the nest after a broody who had lost all of her eggs, she was leading Thalia to her own hollow, within the same good branching district. Thalia had strengthened her wings since her first branching, and could fly longer distances than other owlets her age, considering she was constantly sneaking out to test her wings, so they just happened to be stronger and more experienced than other owls her age.

She flapped after the broody as she led her down a winding path of canyons. The broody screeched for a pause, as she could probably tell Thalia was starting to lose control of her wings. She lighted down on a ledge, her chest heaving slightly as she looked to the broody.

"We stopped why?" She demanded as she caught her breath. The broody gave a shake of her head.

"You were obviously tiring." He replied with a patient gaze, broodies the nicer lot of the Pure Ones.

Thalia huffed. "I'm fine. Let's keep going!" She screeched, her gaze growing impatient. The broody mumbled 'Great Glaux' underneath his breath before flying again. Thalia stumbling slightly as she shoved off, but regaining her composure, she flew rather silently after him, slightly using the ledges on the last stretch, occasionally shoving off of them.

They paused by her hollow. "Here." The male broody said with a small smile. Thalia grunted as she shoved past him.

"This looks fine." She finally said as she glanced around, hiding the screeching owlet inside of her that was absolutely delighted to be in her own hollow.

"There is a Tyto that will be supervising this stretch of the branching canyons. They spot owls that will be good soldiers, and are basically in charge of telling the High Tyto what they think every young owls spot should be in the hierarchy." The broody explained before leaving rather quickly.

Thalia glanced around her hollow, excitement in her gizzard as she came to the edge of it, stretching her wings and flying around. Her First Flight ceremony would be soon, and she couldn't wait so she practiced hard, trying her hardest to not use the ledges that protruded from the side of the canyons. She shreed as she saw the supervisor, slightly shocked as she steadied her flight rather quickly. The owl had a battle helm on, which seemed odd to Thalia.

She narrowed her eyes as she circled around the strange owl, her gaze searching the feathers as the size also didn't seem quite Tyto shaped. She almost went yeep when she saw the feathers of a Great Horned. He was watching the branching owls with great interest. She opened her beak and gave a great screech as she dived, not having practiced on a real life owl, her talons clinked right off of his armor. She knew the screech would bring some Pure One soldiers though.

"Wait!" The horned owl boomed. "I can take you to the tree! You will be safe from this horrid place!" Thalia felt hatred seep into her eyes as she dived again, trying to get underneath his armor, managing the grab a talonful of feathers from his wings. She watched as they fluttered through the air. She saw several Pure Ones approaching, and as the owl tried to take off they came upon him. There were screeches and she saw two Pure Ones plummet from the sky, but then the body of the bigger owl finally dropped. He was outnumbered.

She landed on a little ways away from where the fight had been fought. A Tyto Alba gave her a look of interest, before flying off. ' _That was odd. No higher Tyto's ever look at me like that.'_ She thought, but she noted the look of slight contempt that was mostly hidden. She shrugged it off, and slid into her hollow. Her gaze delighted as her eyes widened with the thrill of a battle. She knew tomorrow she would be able to have her very own pair of real battle claws, and she couldn't wait.

Sleep tried to evade her that night as she shifted nervously, but finally it came, allowing her some rest for her big day.

 **This chapter was a bit shorter, but I just wanted to add some action. I didn't want to make her win a fight or get very involved because I don't want her to be a Mary-Sue, but I just thought a little bit of action would do good. She is pretty much already flying because of a ton of late night practicing, but she still can't stay in the air for too insanely long. Hope you all enjoyed! Review and Favorite and I will see you all next time!**

 **~Fangirl2005**


	3. Chapter 3

**Back with another chapter of Dark Moon Rising! I haven't gotten any reviews yet, but I'm liking the story. So I am going to keep on writing, and hopefully one day this will be a popular story among several! Anyways, let us get to it!**

Thalia rose from her makeshift nest of feathers early in the night. Her head swiveled around as she looked around the hollow. She shrugged off her sleep as she hopped out of her hollow. Her outstanding hearing that all Tyto's had picked up the shrieks from the prisoner from the night before. They echoed throughout the Canyonlands.

She saw some of the branching owlets trying to cover their ears, but she reveled in the sound. She had never been found of the Tree, thinking that the Pure Ones were the superior race of owls. They would be the future of owl kind, while the Tree would soon be forgotten.

She stretched her wings as she flapped strongly, carrying herself rather silently. The feathers that would grow to make her flight completely silent hadn't completely grew yet. She worked with what she had. She landed on a ledge. She wanted to explore the canyon's more, but she didn't know if she was completely allowed to yet. She swiveled her head in the direction of some rather noisy wing beats. She looked to see Nyra, one of the Pure One's leaders, including being the High Tyto's mate.

Her dark eyes lit with interest as she flew closer to the ledge where the Highness screeched for attention.

"All owls ready to take their first flight will follow me." She said strongly. Her voice ringing with authority and coldness that made no owlets dare try to protest as she flew off of the ledge, heading towards the training grounds nestled in the canyon side.

Thalia rose into flight. Propelling herself forward, she followed silently after the Queen. Eventually they had landed in a medium sized cave in the side of the canyons. She flew to a higher ledge again.

"This is where your first test of Purity will begin. Being Tyto's means we are the **purest** race in the owl kingdoms. However, we can't have…" She trailed off for a second, scanning the group below her with her cold, dark eyes. "Non-pure Tyto's among us, which means your first test is to go against your fellow owls in a fight to the death. If you survive, you will begin training tomorrow. If you don't, well we all know how that will end. No mercy, no pity! If you provide mercy, both of you will be killed." She finished as she ruffled her feathers slightly.

Thalia glanced around. Her eyes gleaming viciously as she looked at her opponents. She suddenly heard something clang at her feet. She snapped out of her trance as she looked at her first pair of actual battle claws. She glanced up as the Queen nodded to her. She stepped out of the huddle. She strapped them on with little to no difficulty before she looked to her opponent.

A Ashy-Faced Owl stood before her, they happened to be rather rare in the Tyto's world, and was even lower on the hierarchy of the Pure One's then Sooty Owls, as their faces weren't the pure white that Tyto's prided themselves on, but rather carried a look much like if somebody had rubbed charcoal on their mask.

Nyra gave the screech to rise in the air. Thalia flapped strongly, struggling slightly with the battle claws. She was coping with them better than the smaller Tyto as she struggled to rise in the pair. Nyra gave another screech once both young owls were in the air, to begin the battle.

Thalia and the other Tyto plunged forward, battle claws slicing into each owls flesh. There was screeches of pain, but Thalia whipped around. Ignoring the sticky blood dripping from a wound on her side, she lunged forward again. Slashing at the other owls face, she dodged a blow before pulling back once more. The other Tyto stumbled in flight as blood dripped down her face.

Thalia sneered as she took this opportunity to try to aim another hit. Her opponent however swiped at her talons, causing Thalia to swerve in flight. As she swerved she hit the other owl's wings, her talons slashing to the bone. ' _Great Glaux! These claws are sharp!'_ she thought as her opponent screeched in pain, falling to the ground.

Thalia landed as her chest heaved for air as she clicked her way across the stone. She hopped onto her opponent's stomach, her talons gripping as if it was a branch, digging into her as she screamed in pain.

"Please." Her smaller opponent pleaded as blood poured from her wounds.

"Disgrace!" Thalia screeched as she killed her swiftly. Stepping off of the limp carcass, she looked to Nyra.

The queen didn't look too impressed. "Step back, Sooty." She commanded. Thalia nodded slightly as she stepped back into the huddle. Many other Tyto's went after her, and finally the first trial of Purity was done.

"Now only the strongest fighting Tyto's are standing. Rest, for you will definitely need it for next night." She screeched before flying out of the cave, leaving the bleeding and wounded owls left. Thalia looked as other Tyto's started carrying off the dead bodies.

Some of the survivors carried horrified looks at what they had just done, others carried the vicious and triumphant gleam in their eyes that Thalia did, and others seemed practically moon-blinked with no emotion in their eyes. Thalia rose into the air, ignoring the stinging in her side. She flew out into the stone forest as she looked for her hollow. She knew that some broodies without nests would be coming to the hollows of the owls in tonight's training for them to heal.

Thalia finally located the stone hollow, she landed outside of it before ducking in. She ruffled her feathers as she yawned. Dawn light was seeping into the canyon land. The training hadn't seemed that long, but it had lasted through the whole night. She sat in her nest, closing her eyes.

Her gaze flickered open as she heard claws scrape the stone outside. She glared at the noise, but relaxed slightly as she saw the plump shape of a broody making their way into her hollow.

"Here to heal you, young owl." The broody spoke slowly as she put down her 'medicine'. Thalia closed her eyes again, allowing her to work. Not entirely caring, as long as she would be able to fight tomorrow.

 **Okay! Finished. XD I am pretty pleased with this chapter. I hope you all like it. And as always, please favorite, follow, and review! Thank you for reading this far if you did!**

 **~Fangirl2005**


	4. Chapter 4

**Another chapter of DMR is up now! I hope you guys enjoy reading this one too! My Doc Manager didn't want to work for a while. So I couldn't upload any new chapters.**

Thalia perched on a small stone slab not very high up off of the stone ground. She was sharing this particular space with several other Tyto's. They were the same group that Thalia had trained with the night before. She heard the nervous clacking of beaks around her as they all looked towards their guidance today. Nyra was with a more 'important' group of owls today as this new owl who would be overlooking their training put it.

Thalia ruffled her feathers impatiently as she looked to the owl, a small glare in her dark eyes. ' _Start already! What are you waiting for?'_ She felt like screeching at this incompetent bundle of feathers.

"Today you will be practicing your flight." He finally said. Thalia perked up with interest. "The strongest flier will get to be moved up to a more advanced flying class." He finished. Thalia was always one of the strongest flying owls of her age group. She knew some of the others were sloppy fliers. Noisy, and carless.

She managed to move fast silently and took a great deal of care in her flight. She often was preening these feathers that lifted her into the sky, as she wanted to maintain them. She looked at some of the older owls in her group. Their feathers ragged at the end from the lack of care and fighting. They looked like hagsfiends. Not a respectable Tyto that are the purest race. Their feathers were a disgrace to the Tyto family.

She tilted her head as another command was uttered from the beak of the elderly owl. "Rise." He screeched hoarsely. She moved into the air, flapping her wings to form a small updraft that helped her rise off of the boulder.

She swiveled her head and her attention towards the instructor, waiting for him to give them another command. He surveyed the young owls with minimal interest. He noted the few that struggled to get into the air, and the others that managed it with the least amount of trouble.

He rose into the air alongside them with several strokes of his own wings. "Let me see three simple strokes forward." He called clearly. His voice ringed and echoed around them, bouncing off of the stone walls.

Thalia propelled herself forward. Three strokes was a simple enough task. She assumed that the difficulty would rise as the lesson continued on. He was just seeing what certain owls were capable of. She never knew how some owls wings could grow tired, she had never heard of such a thing coming from Tyto's.

"Okay. Fly in a loop now." He screeched another command. There was nervous glances from some of the younger owls. But the older ones practically scoffed at it. Thalia felt a tiny amount of nervousness worm into her gizzard, but it was drowned out by her confidence in her flying abilities. She started pushing herself forward with strokes of her wings.

After several stroke she was towards the first curve. She angled her wings and glided around where he instructed before continuing her normal, silent flight.

She landed on the boulder after she was done. She watched the others land beside her. She gave her wing feathers a quick preen before looking to the flight instructor once more.

After several more tricks and simple flying mechanics, he gave the signal for the lesson to be over. Thalia felt rather confident that she might win. He said he would tell them tomorrow. She swiveled her head as her ears picked up the boasting of a Tyto Alba. "I'm going to win it. I know I will. My family are of high ranks after all." He sneered to the younger Tyto's that clustered around him, awe in their eyes. He was what some owls would call irresistible or handsome. Thalia thought nothing of the sorts.

"What are you looking at, Sooty?" He threw in her direction. She glared at him, but started to lift into flight. "You are supposed to answer me!" He screeched as he raised in the air too. His talons outstretched as he lunged forward, catching her off guard he smacked her to the ground. Blood spilling from a shallow wound.

He smirked as he landed. "Now. Answer. My. Question." He growled as he approached her. His talons clicking on the rock. The other owls were churring around her, enjoying the little show.

She stumbled to her talons. Her eyes burning with rage. "I wouldn't have done that." She muttered as she stepped closer to him.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my feathers. What could an impure Sooty like yourself do to me? A Tyto Alba. The purest of the Tyto's." He said with a growl sounding in each of his words. He struck out his talons to trip her. But she anticipated this as he tensed up before doing the movement and she dodged it. Her talons raising to slash at his wings. A couple of feathers fluttered down.

"Whoops." She said innocently. Her eyes glinting with anger.

"You pile of racdrops!" He screeched as he lunged forward, slamming her to the ground as he dug in his talons. She wriggled uncomfortably, but she struck out one of her talons. Slightly tripping him, he stumbled off of her. She got to her talons, rising into the air.

"Come fight me, you coward!" She screeched as she dived down, barely missing him. She tried to gain more height as he rose into the air as well. Their talons locked as they came closer. There was anger filled screeches filling the air around the training grounds. She smacked him in the side of the head with a wing. Stunning him for a second she took the advantage. He let go of her talons as he staggered in flight.

She lunged forward, slashing at his breast. Meeting her mark a trickle of blood spilled from her opponent. She dodged a swipe from his claws barely as he ripped a couple of her feathers. She dived away. He followed. She could feel the wind from his wings on her tail feathers. He plucked one. A screech of pain ripped its way out of her throat. She whipped around, causing him to slam into her. They fell down out of the sky, grappling with each other the whole way. She used her being smaller as an advantage as she came out on top. He smacked into the rock.

He screeched out in pain. "My wing!" He screeched, a small whimper escaping from his throat. It had been dislocated. Thalia stepped off of him. Rising into the air, she left him there. Her gaze cold as she swept past the other Tyto's who slightly flinched back. She landed on a ledge nearby, seeing some Broodies rushing towards him. They held him down and popped it back into place.

"That'll show him." She muttered as she swept off of the cliff silently. The only sound was from her talons clicking on the stone as she took off. The Pure Ones wouldn't allow an owl her age out of the canyons yet. Not until she was in a more advanced class.

She preened her wing feathers and tail feathers gently. Her gaze blank of any emotion as she flew to get some food. She snatched a mole in the canyons, making quick work as she gulped it down. She knew that tomorrow she would know who the winner of this 'test' from the Pure Ones would be. She could hardly wait.

 **This chapter was a bit longer than my others. Welp, I hope you enjoyed! If you ever want me to use any of your Oc's just leave them in a review. As always please favorite, follow, and review! It would make my day! Thank You!**

 **~Fangirl2005**


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